Epilogue
by sartielifts
Summary: "Epilogue" is basically what it sounds like: an epilogue to Naruto.    "Epilogue" takes place about 3 years after Shippuuden, where it is right now with the Kage's  this was written in September 2009 .    Some slight out of character behaviour may occur.
1. Part 1: BBQ

"Oh shit-shit-shit, I'm so late for work! Izumo-senpai will strangle me slowly if he finds out I've been sitting here, enjoying life, while he's waiting for me to check in for duties.", Kiba yelled out, taking everyone around him by total surprise.  
>He bent over the table and gave Hinata a quick little kiss on the forehead, then ran out the door so fast not even Lee would've been able to catch up with him.<p>

"Wow, he's been even more absent minded than usual lately, or what do you think, Hinata?", Ino asked the head of the Hyuuga clan, taking her by total surprise yet again.

"I-i-i... Eh, well maybe he's just a little stressed, I think. A lot has been going on in the village, so he's got a lot of work to do.", she replied gently, with a more than concerned face.  
>She looked at all the familiar faces around the table she was seated at, and everyone seemed to have the same facial expression as her. Even Choji had to lay down his chop-sticks for a minute, looking genuinely as though he didn't feel like eating at the moment.<p>

"... So, what do you think will happen now? I mean, Kakashi-sama has no choice, does he?", Sakura asked quietly, looking up at Shikamaru from across the table.  
>There was a moment of silence that seemed to emotionally affect the entire group. Shikamaru took a deep breath and a quick look around the table, preparing himself for what he was about to say.<p>

"Well, it seems so. You all know he tried to talk some sense into the other kages, but with little effect..." Another deep breath was the final preparation for the Konoha ninja, as he was about to break the news to everybody.  
>He looked at Sakura, knowing she'd not like what she was about to hear, then gently, with a great deal of sadness in his voice, he spoke once more.<p>

"Naruto will, without a doubt, be formally listed as a missing-nin".  
>Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, trying her best to pull herself together, but with little effect. She instantly excused herself from the table, walking aimlessly out of the restaurant.<br>Ino quickly joined her friend to support and comfort her, knowing how devastated Sakura was after having finally confessed about her feelings towards Naruto, only to have him run away in search for Sasuke.  
>Ino had made it her number one priority to be there for Sakura, and she felt like they'd never been this close before. She couldn't even remember the last time they called each other nasty things such as Billboard brow and Ino-pig.<p>

They all looked understandingly at each other as Sakura and Ino left. Seemingly uncomfortable with the situation, Hinata also left the scene, blaming it on "important matters".  
>Now only Shikamaru and Choji remained in the building. Choji had since long resumed his eating, while Shikamaru just sat there, looking over at his friend. Choji didn't seem to mind it at first, but then after a while, he once again laid down his chop-sticks, and looked over at his friend with a perplexed expression on his face.<p>

"What's on your mind? You look like somebody's died or something. I know this whole thing is hard on everyone, but I never expected you to get that upset about Naruto leaving." Choji had always been very straight forward to Shikamaru, and this was no exception.

"No, it's not that." Shikamaru replied."Or actually, it's related to it in a way." He started picking around at his remaining piece of stake, with no intention what-so-ever to eat it.  
>Obviously he did have something on his mind. Choji quickly snatched the stake right from Shikamaru's plate, and gave him a look that said "Go on".<p>

"Well, I was thinking about Sakura. First losing Sasuke, then Naruto. I can't imagine what it'd feel like." He looked up from his plate, right into Choji's big, round eyes.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, so don't worry." Choji said with great confidence in his words, assuring Shikamaru there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

"Yeah, I guess so." Shikamaru's eyes once again fell on his now clean plate, and he wandered off in his mind. He then looked up at Choji with a little smile on his face.

"Only thing that'd make you leave Konoha would be if the BBQ-place decided to relocate".  
>Choji let out a big laugh, almost spitting out his food all over Shikamaru, and then yet again resumed his eating, not at all minding Shikamaru sitting there quietly, observing him as he ate.<p> 


	2. Part 2: Anbu

"Would you get the Anbu for me? Consider this your first true order at your new job."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. Right away!", the chunin replied to her leader, and immediately walked with shaky steps right out of the hokage-building.  
>Considering this was her first day working directly under the 6:th Hokage, she felt like she was doing a pretty damn good job. Sure, she was so nervous that she hadn't slept in days, but she still felt strangely excited about how things had turned out today.<p>

Expecting absolutely nothing exciting to happen when she got the task earlier this morning to check out with the guys up in the hawk tower, she was pretty surprised and overwhelmed with what she was met by.

She got a message shoved right up in her face, with the order of "direct delivery to the Hokage", and she left the tower as soon as she had reached the top. She had run so fast back to the hokage-building that she actually felt a little sick when she arrived.

That had long since passed now that she was standing right in front of the door that led to god-knew-what. All she knew was that the Anbu was on the other side of that door, and all she was instructed to do was knock, so she did.

The door was opened in such an overconfident and ecstatic way that she had to take a few steps back.  
>Two Anbu stood in front of her. One clearly female and the other male, both appearing to be in their late teens.<p>

The male Anbu was the one responsible for slamming the door open, and the female Anbu seemed both aware and ashamed of that fact. These two ninja looked strangely filled with emotions, considering their jobs, and there was something very warm about them that made you feel comfortable and safe.

With nothing left to do, the chunin turned right on the spot, and started to walk back towards the building she came from. She hadn't gotten very far when she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
>It was the female Anbu, giving her a pat on the shoulder, making her confident that she had done a great job, not even having to utter a single word.<p>

The Anbu quickly disappeared, and their shear determination was always such a thing to see, even for one who had seen it a billion times.  
>Surely they had reached the hokage's office in a matter of seconds, the chunin thought to herself, and she couldn't have been more right.<p>

That knock on the door was so hard not to recognize for the hokage that he almost had to cover his mouth not to laugh. The ecstatic way the door was opened nearly pushed him over the edge, and this time he even had to bite his lip not to laugh, still a girlish little giggle managed to get through, but the two Anbu entering the door either didn't hear it, or pretended they didn't.

"Reporting for duties, sir!", the Anbu that'd just opened the door semi-yelled. This time he just couldn't hold it back, and he let out long, heartwarming laugh, taking the two Anbu somewhat by surprise.

"You really haven't gotten used to your job, I see. Haven't you been told numerous times that Anbu are supposed to be subtle and all that?", the hokage said in between his laughs.

"I am truly and utterly sorry, Hokage-sama!", the Anbu said with a loud voice and a bow so deep you'd swear his nose touched the floor.

"Well, to get on with things. I guess you ran in to Hanabi earlier?". The 6:th Hokage had always been very different to the former five.  
>He didn't really care about formalities, and he was very easy-going and chit-chatty.<p>

"Off the topic, it's actually her first day here today. Doesn't it feel like only days ago Hinata worked here?". The Hokage's little trip down memory lane was met by absolute silence, so he carried on with things.

"Anyways, I have a mission for the two of you. This is actually a rather standard thing, but I felt like there could be great use for two trained Anbu to carry it out. With that said, you can change into regular uniforms right away."  
>After all this time, he still wasn't used to speaking in such a formal manner to people he knew that well, but he'd been told that's what comes with the title of Hokage.<p>

He watched as the ninjas in front of him took off their Anbu masks and revealed their faces.  
>It was so hard not to smile at what he saw. Wasn't it only yesterday he'd been quietly cheering them on in the chunin exams? If not so, it certainly felt like it to him.<p>

A great big sigh, a hint of a smile and a finger pointing at the door was the first thing that met the two Anbu as they had removed their masks.

"Well, of you go.", the Hokage said, and watched the two ninjas walking out of the door.  
>Hurrying to speak before the door was closed, he yelled:<p>

"And next time Lee, just call me Kakashi-sensei, right?".

Lee replied with a very casual "Certainly not, hokage-sama." as he and Ten-Ten left the room, and Ten-Ten sighed as Lee slammed the door shut behind him with the biggest smile ever on his face.


End file.
